How to Get Lean Muscle: The Importance of Stretching

Many people jump the gun and skip straight to the workout, ignoring what seems to be a boring and pointless activity. Unless you want to heighten your chance of injury, lower your muscle gaining potential and make the workout harder for yourself, stop reading. If you want to increase the amount of muscle you can gain, read on.

Stretching is important for a few reasons. Firstly, it increases blood flow around your body. It's not called a warm-up for no reason. The increased blood flow will stimulate tired muscles and allow for smoother, less painful movement and exercise. Of course, blood flow can also quicken by simply doing a lap around a gym or oval, but stretching allows blood to run to your extremities, as well as, preparing muscles less often used for exercises.

Secondly, stretching will "wake up" muscle that you might have neglected in your body, giving your body a more even look. You will also get more out of your workout; sometimes people discover that muscles in their body that they have neglected, so much so that their body is dangerously imbalanced. This goes beyond having one bicep being bigger than the other; I'm referring to being unable to walk straight or having a weak lower back.

Thirdly, stretching significantly improves posture, which has several physical benefits. As already mentioned, circulation will improve, enabling the body to take on more muscle. Also, the nervous system is also healthier, lowering chances of common sicknesses; the respiratory system is stronger, allowing more oxygen to be delivered to all parts of your body. And of course, your body is more impressive; you look taller, broader and overall, better balanced.

Unfortunately, many muscle routines do not address this important aspect of a workout. Working out without doing stretches before or after will make imbalances in your body worse, until it becomes almost impossible to fix them. They are just too firmly established and your dream body is unattainable. Taking 10 - 15 minutes stretching before and after a workout won't hurt you. Not doing them will.